Yesterday's debacle is reflected today. Last night's LSL and Capitol EB left Chicago this morning. The Capitol is just east of Toledo and LSL not to Toledo yet.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
MP173 NS does in fact call signals, slow orders, etc. on the road channel. It makes for interesting monitoring of the operations of a segment. Balt...that is exactly what is occurring. The hiding spots are all taken and with grade crossings every mile or less, there are only a few ideal parking spots on mainlines. These too are grabbed. From Gary west it is mainly industrial so there are not as many road crossings. Trains tend to be stacked there. Also there are more #3 and #4 tracks in that area.
NS does in fact call signals, slow orders, etc. on the road channel. It makes for interesting monitoring of the operations of a segment.
Balt...that is exactly what is occurring. The hiding spots are all taken and with grade crossings every mile or less, there are only a few ideal parking spots on mainlines. These too are grabbed. From Gary west it is mainly industrial so there are not as many road crossings. Trains tend to be stacked there. Also there are more #3 and #4 tracks in that area.
Today is shaping up about the same as yesterday. Clog WB at Porter and at CP462 again. About the same number of trains tied down hither and yon.
oltmannd Yesterday's debacle is reflected today. Last night's LSL and Capitol EB left Chicago this morning. The Capitol is just east of Toledo and LSL not to Toledo yet.
Don, As you know those late starts are mostly due to the Toledo based crews for those jobs on HOS mandated rest for 8 hours after the late arrival of the inbound train. Word I got is that the Toledo crew pool is tight.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
Jay, did they serve the lunch menu on train 30 yesterday?
Fred
oltmannd Today is shaping up about the same as yesterday. Clog WB at Porter and at CP462 again. About the same number of trains tied down hither and yon.
blue streak 1 oltmannd Today is shaping up about the same as yesterday. Clog WB at Porter and at CP462 again. About the same number of trains tied down hither and yon. Wither bound ? Hither and yon. What are the train counts thru the area ? Is it a mix of slower and faster traffic ? Very different counts on different days ?
Intermodal traffic is generally lighter on weekends, so it give a chance for the railroad to catch it's breath. Didn't work out so well yesterday. The mix doesn't matter all that much. Difference in speed between trains is small. Intemodal is allowed 60, everything else 50 (Amtrak 79), but the way things are bunching up that matters little. Having a train outlaw on the main - or worse yet - tie down is like having a wreck on a freeway at rush hour. Doesn't matter what you're driving or what the speed limit is....
jeaton oltmannd Yesterday's debacle is reflected today. Last night's LSL and Capitol EB left Chicago this morning. The Capitol is just east of Toledo and LSL not to Toledo yet. Don, As you know those late starts are mostly due to the Toledo based crews for those jobs on HOS mandated rest for 8 hours after the late arrival of the inbound train. Word I got is that the Toledo crew pool is tight.
Amtrak could have used an NS crew with an Amtrak pilot to 21st St. - except NS has none to spare! Apparently, the Capitol ran with an NS crew from Toledo to Pittsburgh about a month ago after the Amtrak crew outlawed enroute.
The WB LSL and Capitol have gotten past a WB NS merchandise train and a WB intermodal train and are currently overtaking a CPR train on the fly, but are headed toward a clog west of Elkhart.
FIve WB trains at Porter and two at CP462, with two more on the way to the party - and a solid parade of eastbounds.
...its not for lack of trying!
Fred Frailey Jay, did they serve the lunch menu on train 30 yesterday? Fred
oltmannd The WB LSL and Capitol have gotten past a WB NS merchandise train and a WB intermodal train and are currently overtaking a CPR train on the fly, but are headed toward a clog west of Elkhart. FIve WB trains at Porter and two at CP462, with two more on the way to the party - and a solid parade of eastbounds. ...its not for lack of trying!
FIve WB trains at Porter and two at CP462, with two more on the way to the party - and a solid parade of eastbounds. ...its not for lack of trying!
Both trains are departing Elkhart following a couple intermodal trains ahead. Looks like the IM trains are going to join the pile at Porter (now four trains deep), but once an EB intermodal gets by, there's a chance the two Amtrak trains can scoot by Porter on track 2. We'll see.
oltmannd Both trains are departing Elkhart following a couple intermodal trains ahead. Looks like the IM trains are going to join the pile at Porter (now four trains deep), but once an EB intermodal gets by, there's a chance the two Amtrak trains can scoot by Porter on track 2. We'll see.
Nope. Routed into the clog at Porter. That'll cost'em an hour each, at least.
oltmannd oltmannd Both trains are departing Elkhart following a couple intermodal trains ahead. Looks like the IM trains are going to join the pile at Porter (now four trains deep), but once an EB intermodal gets by, there's a chance the two Amtrak trains can scoot by Porter on track 2. We'll see. Nope. Routed into the clog at Porter. That'll cost'em an hour each, at least.
Well, yep! The Capitol is going to back from one to two at CP466. I suspect the LSL will follow suit as it's being held short of CP466.
Both trains completed zig-zag at 466...have route though Porter. Looks like a relatively clean ride the rest of the way.
Have route and signals all the way to Englewood.
...and all the way to Amtrak at 21st St. LSL is following
Any chance that non subscribers could access ATCS ?
ATCS Monitor is a Yahoo Group. Go there and ask for membership. The learning curve is steep, be forewarned.
ACTS is also becoming obsolite as railroads go with satalite commuinication. We call the area between east Deshler and Galetea the "black hole".Csx has redone the folkston Ga area as others have told me.Getting back to NS they had 2 trains waiting in Archbold and no local came to town that I could tell.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
Looks like another tough day for Amtrak.
Train #48 shows a 930pm departure from Chicago, yet left South Bend at 626am...which is 6:30 late. Currently it is west of Toledo and is tracking 6:14 late.
Train #29 is west of Waterloo, In and is "only" 1:44 late. However, current speed is 0mph.
Train #49 is due into Waterloo in 3 minutes and is 1:14 late.
Here in NW Indiana it appears to be another challenging day for NS and Amtrak. 33E has recrewed at MP479 with 23K right behind it. Ahead past 482 train 31M is tying down it's train. It sounds as if work has been cancelled today at the new crossover at 479. There are "a number of short time eastbounds".
I have work to do, but the drama is intriguing.
Ed
It's looking like P050 - the scenic tour through Indiana, the Ohio River Valley and Western Virginia - has become the 'reliable' route between Chicago and DC, even if the scheduled trip is longer.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
A question for BALT and Oltmann.
In the era of DPU operations could NS cut number of trains and save crews by taking 2 trains to same destination and combine them using DPU technology ?. That train would certainly need to be able to not stop and block grade crossings. On this route are there some train length limits that preclude some combinations ? Realize that at present the RR would have to combine enough at same time to be able to keep route fluid.
I don't know what the NS train length restriction is, if any. However, with the terrain from Elkhart to Chicago I am sure they are running maximum length trains and DPU is not necessary for their movement. The down side to extremely long trains is that terminal facilities that were built in a bygone era can rarely handle these trains on a single track. When trains have to used multiple tracks to be yarded or dispatched they must block the leads for extended periods of time thus preventing other movements from using those leads. Length can be a double edged sword..
BaltACD . Length can be a double edged sword..
. Length can be a double edged sword..
Unconfirmed report is that NS is gaining ( gained ? ) control of the Englewood diamond from METRA ? Most METRA trains reported ( unconfirmed ) now being routed onto the Englewood flyover. If so then this may be one link in a chain to reduce delays on the NS route ? If so METRA will have to wait on NS & Amtrak ?
Not sure if this was NS's fault yesterday but Amtrak yesterday at 540pm (about 10 hours late) was instructed to violate the hours of service rules and run a few miles and then hold for a recrew.
A couple of points...
1. How in the world are they feeding people if the trains are that late?
2. If the trainset is to be turned in Chicago, how are they maintaining any resemblence to normal timekeeping at this point in time. They are almost to the point of annulling a train movement for a day and starting over, unless Amtrak has extra equipment.
MP173 2. If the trainset is to be turned in Chicago, how are they maintaining any resemblence to normal timekeeping at this point in time. They are almost to the point of annulling a train movement for a day and starting over, unless Amtrak has extra equipment. Ed
Last night's Lake Shore departed Chicago at 2:45am, some 5 hours 15 minutes late. It was last reported at Elkhart, more than 8 hours late. The Capitol is listed as a service disruption, so I don't know if it even ran.
blue streak 1 A question for BALT and Oltmann. In the era of DPU operations could NS cut number of trains and save crews by taking 2 trains to same destination and combine them using DPU technology ?. That train would certainly need to be able to not stop and block grade crossings. On this route are there some train length limits that preclude some combinations ? Realize that at present the RR would have to combine enough at same time to be able to keep route fluid.
You can run ridiculously long trains between Chicago and Elkart w/o DPU. It's really flat. And, has been pointed out - there are already issues getting them in and out of yards.
Dakguy201 MP173 2. If the trainset is to be turned in Chicago, how are they maintaining any resemblence to normal timekeeping at this point in time. They are almost to the point of annulling a train movement for a day and starting over, unless Amtrak has extra equipment. Ed Last night's Lake Shore departed Chicago at 2:45am, some 5 hours 15 minutes late. It was last reported at Elkhart, more than 8 hours late. The Capitol is listed as a service disruption, so I don't know if it even ran.
Both WB trains vanished from Amtrak's map at Toledo this morning.
If these disruptions, whatever the cause, continue much longer, much of Amtrak's LD operation's future becomes doubtful, whether as transportation or a land cruise. Lotsa fun being stuck on a train somewhere for many hours with no food, etc. and unable to even get off.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.